RoadVitals

1994 GMC 1500

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
29
Latest Jun 19, 2017
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2

Overview

Our database contains 29 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 GMC 1500, most frequently naming the visibility, interior & seats and brakes categories. 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Visibility1133.3%
  • Interior & seats412.1%
  • Brakes412.1%
  • Electrical412.1%
  • Steering26.1%
  • Seat belts13.0%
  • Tires & wheels13.0%
  • Transmission13.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 29
Electrical
Filed Jun 19, 2017

MY BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T WORK IVED TRIED EVERY THING TO FIX THEM AND I CANT SEEMED TO FIND THE PROBLEM I WAS WONDERING IF THE WIREING OR BRAKE SWITCH WERE RECALLS

NHTSA ID
10995905
Incident
Apr 23, 2017
Mileage
5 mi
Visibility
Filed Oct 7, 2004

1994 GMC SIERRA PICKUP ([XXX]) GM HAS 2 RECALLS FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR PROBLEMS ON 1994 AND NEWER PICKUPS AND SUVS (RECALL 98043 AND SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT 02054A). MY VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM NOTED IN THE RECALLS: INTERMITTENT WIPER OPERATION RESULTING FROM CRACKED SOLDER JOINTS ON THE WIPER MOTOR CONTROL'S PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AT ITS CONNECTION TO THE WIRING HARNESS. BUT, BECAUSE MY VIN DOES NOT MATCH THOSE IN THE RECALL, I AM LEFT TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM ON MY OWN. I HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THIS FOR A FEW YEARS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR MONEY TO FIX IT. AND, MY BRIEF INTERNET RESEARCH REVEALS NUMEROUS OTHER GM OWNERS IN THE SAME SITUATION ... THE SAME PROBLEM IDENTIFIED IN THE RECALL BUT LEFT IN THE COLD BY GM BECAUSE OF VIN NUMBER EXCLUSIONS. MY CALL TO GM REVEALED THAT THE RECALL WAS LIMITED TO VEHICLES MANUFACTURED AT CERTAIN PLANTS, BECAUSE ONLY THOSE PLANTS USED PARTS FROM "DEFECTIVE BATCHES." THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM (BAD SOLDER JOINTS) SEEMS TO ME A DESIGN ISSUE (FAILURE TO MITIGATE VIBRATION, TOO RIGID A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE WIRING CONNECTOR AND PCB?), NOT A MANUFACTURING DEFECT (BAD BATCH OF MATERIAL, IMPROPERLY SOLDERED JOINT?). SAME SYMPTOMS RESULTING FROM THE SAME FAILURE ON THE SAME PART WITH THE SAME PART NUMBER? WHEN I PRESSED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP. ON THIS QUESTION (VIN NUMBER AND PARTS BATCH ARE IRRELEVANT IF IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, WHICH I THINK IT IS), I GOT THE PROVERBIAL RUN-AROUND. AND, MY WIPERS STILL DON'T WORK. *NM UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
10093778
Incident
Oct 7, 2004
Visibility
Filed Aug 20, 2004

WINDSHIELD WIPERS RUN INTERMITTENTLY SEVERELY LIMITIING VISIBILITY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. GMC NOTIFIED ME THAT MY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE WIPER MOTOR REPLACEMENT RECALL EVEN THOUGH I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10088255
Incident
Jul 12, 2004
Mileage
122,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 8, 2004

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IN THE RAIN WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALERSHIP, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. *AK

NHTSA ID
10075870
Incident
Jan 24, 2004
Visibility
Filed Mar 17, 2004

WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED INTERMITTENLY. A RECALL WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

NHTSA ID
10063389
Incident
Mar 15, 2004
Mileage
145,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 7, 2003

WIPERS ON MY 1994 GMC PICK-UP DO NOT WORK AT ALL TIMES WHEN REQUIRED. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ROUTINELY FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. GMC ACKNOWLEDGED OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE; HOWEVER, MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR RECALL ORDERS, MY CONTACT WITH GMC PRODUCED NEGATIVE RESULTS. *LA

NHTSA ID
10049372
Incident
Dec 29, 1998
Mileage
100,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 29, 2003

CONSUMER STATES HE IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HIS GMC 1500 ONCE HE PUTS THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND STARTS THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT IS TIME TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF HE CANNOT CUT IT OFF. IT IS HARD TO ENGAGE THE THE SWIFT LEVEL TO PARK AND REMOVE THE KEY. HE IS KILLING THE STARTER. CONSUMER HAS WORKED ON TRUCKS FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS NEVER ENCOUNTERED THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10031456
Incident
Jul 29, 2003
Interior & seats
Filed Mar 4, 2003

A FAULTY BOLT CAUSED THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO BREAK. WHEN THE BOLT BROKE IT WAS HARD TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD *NLM

NHTSA ID
10009786
Incident
May 15, 2002

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

GMC 1500 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2000010—
1999010—
1998010—
1997010—
1996240037.4
1994Viewing290033.8
1990800—
1985300—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.